header paint advice?

[CheapJeepBrad]

good info

Question... do you think you'd be better off having that surface machined totally flat? Or, is the slight raise beneficial to creating a tighter seal?

[rang-a-stang]

Well... this is my first set of headers for a Jeep so I am not sure. I would think it would be "better" to have them ground flat but I am not sure they would be better enough to warrant the extra work/cost. I'll throw 'em on as is (are?) and if I blow gaskets I'll consider having them machined when I take them off next time for smog.

[WrenchMonkey]

considering the gaskets are usually a soft metal meant to crush and form to shape I'd like to imagine the machining grooves help hold it in place,

I have the same headers, the exhaust project is something I was going to tackle before I found out I have the cylinder heads of a 304... since then I've been putting it off until I find/get a 401 or 360 cylinder heads. I don't have access to a sand blaster so my plan was to install and burn off shipping coating for a season and when I do a more legitimate rebuild (eventually) paint them with VLD.

[letank]

considering the gaskets are usually a soft metal meant to crush and form to shape I'd like to imagine the machining grooves help hold it in place.

I used the MRG7174 copper gasket (Mr gasket), they work very well.

As for VHT, blast the rust away, other the paint will flake in 4 min at idle, and it starts to stink within a min, so the baking is a good idea, can't remember the duration and temp, but it is on the can

[rang-a-stang]

Got my Cat-back fab'ed yesterday and I am SUPER happy with it! It's a single Borla ProXS 3" offset in, 3" center out. They followed the factory routing but I asked them to center the tailpipe exit between the bumper and the fender flare and asked them to pull the dump inward so it didn't poke out. My Jeep also just received about 3" of additional ground clearance since my muffler no longer hangs below my frame. It looks AWESOME from the back, exactly what I wanted.

Idle is a nice quiet, mellow, deep and low "blub blub blub" sound. Cruise sounds deeper than stock but not louder, and WOT sounds like a deep, mellow, V8 sound but not loud at all. EXACTLY what I wanted.

Now I need to get my headers on so I can get rid of the MANY exhaust leaks! Notice my passenger mirror is missing. It broke off on my way to the exhaust shop. Didn't bump anything, it just fell off. Broken.

[WrenchMonkey]

Just fell off?! I use mine as handle bars to pull myself up all the time but now I'm wondering if this is a bad practice...

exhaust looks good! Mine will absolutely not be as pretty, I'm doing it all myself and I don't have a tube bender so pre-bent pieces and cutting and welding 100%. I'm planning on an h-pipe connector with side exhausts (maybe through the bed side wall for the sake of ground clearance, still debating). Side simply because less distance =less work,

[rang-a-stang]

Just fell off?! I use mine as handle bars to pull myself up all the time but now I'm wondering if this is a bad practice...

exhaust looks good! Mine will absolutely not be as pretty, I'm doing it all myself and I don't have a tube bender so pre-bent pieces and cutting and welding 100%. I'm planning on an h-pipe connector with side exhausts (maybe through the bed side wall for the sake of ground clearance, still debating). Side simply because less distance =less work,

Just fell off! I'm doing 60mph hour on a clear road and I hear a clunk. I look in my mirror (on the windshield) and see it skidding across the road. Keep in mind, mine are crappy French made mirrors. Not quality American Metal like you have.

Yours could come out very well! I thought of doing it myself but figured by the time I ordered all the bends, (including 20% extra because I suck at this and would have to re-do several cuts), it would end up costing me more than to have it done. That tail pipe and its hangers was $180, muffler was $97 from Summit racing. I would have easily dumped $200 into pipes and bends doing it myself and it would have been 1/3 the quality of this one is (without any sort of warranty, too).

Make sure you post pics of yours when you're done, too! sounds like a good layout! I have watched guys on Hot Rod Garage and Finnegans Garage (both youtube shows) make their own exhausts and they look better then what I got. I just couldn't get there from here.

[fsj454]

por 15

I bought flow master .do it your self 2 1/2 Mandrel bent duel exhaust kit and made it fit where i liked it.welded all joints. except mufflers used banned clamps .wet sanded pipes .por 15 metal prep .por 15 silver exhaust paint from collectors back .1 can on each side .This paint cost 27.00 a can plus metal prep15.00 .6 Months now a still nice silver finish.This paint will be activated when heated up to last longer .BEST HEAT PAINT I EVER USED ...

[Ristow]

A) There are few things I love more than a set of side pipes. The sound is fantastic and the look is unbeatable. The ones on that panel are fantastic!
.

http://www.ifsja.org/forums/vb/showpost.php?p=1429831&postcount=83

http://www.ifsja.org/forums/vb/showpost.php?p=1449301&postcount=87

[rang-a-stang]

MY POINT EXACTLY!!! Those are AWESOME!!! I wish I could get CA to allow my Chief to wear those! So perfect!

[WrenchMonkey]

Those side pipes are glorious and the thought of those getting crushed on a log/boulder... ...

On a '69 Stingray? Absolutely. On a Jeep? Not me, looks damn good but I know I'll accidentally destroy them, step on them, melt part of my body/clothing to them, ect..

I was looking for a good example of a through-fender job and I typically don't like how it's done most of the time... may have to do some photo-wizardry to the truck to make sure I like the idea... it's primarily appealing to me to keep the system short, up and out-of-the-way...

but then I saw this, lol

Seriously though, something along these lines minus the chrome... If it didn't come shiny from factory I'm not interested. Granted they never came from the factory like this, but that's besides the point, just don't feel the need for bling bling everything

[rang-a-stang]

I see your point, WrenchMonkey but for those of us that offroad rarely, sidepipes make a good lookin/soundin street exhaust. Even when I do take my Jeep offroad, its usually pretty tame. I also prefer the sand dunes over the rocky areas that would destroy a set of side pipes...

[rang-a-stang]

Got my headers painted and they look pretty sweet. Got manifolds off, Y-pipe off, cat off.

Then I broke my dipstick tube off!!! YES! Perfect!

I have the driver side header hanging loosely on my head and the passenger side is siting next to my door. I am not sure when the better half will let me tinker again but I have a feeling I will be dropping quite a few cuss word trying to get my broken dip stick tube out and the new one in. I ordered the Amix-Ada one knowing that I am buying a headache but I wanted it ASAP and Amazon had it with 2 day shipping.

[WrenchMonkey]

Damn, seems to be the way of things, two steps forward, one step back

[rang-a-stang]

Drove it to the exhaust shop this morning, open headers. 20 miles (15 of it at highway speeds). DDDDDaaannnng! That's what America sounds like!!! Looking forward to picking it up at lunch today!